NFL Power Rankings: Going Down
What does a 0-2 record mean?
For the Tennessee Titans, it means a spot outside the top 20 in most of the latest NFL power rankings. A day after their 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, the Titans were as low as 30th in the rankings we surveyed and down as many as eight spots from the previous week.
Only two rankings had Mike Vrabel’s team in the top half.
“I've asked (the players) to put this behind us as quickly as possible,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “It's difficult and it's never a great experience losing, losing on the road, losing in a big game, losing in the manner in which we lost. We have to move on … [and] get back to work together. Do it together with all of us, the coaching staff, the players working together.”
Here is a rundown of where the Titans stand in this week’s power rankings and what the various outlets had to say about them:
SI.com: No. 23 (last week 17)
Monday’s loss to the Bills will force the Titans back to the drawing board. The run game is nonexistent, and, as a result, Ryan Tannehill looks human.
Athlon Sports: No. 27 (last week 25)
Titans fans probably knew it would take some time to get to rookie QB Malik Willis but getting thrown to the wolves after seven quarters probably wasn’t in the game plan for the coaching staff or front office.
CBS Sports: No. 24 (last week 16)
They were awful against the Bills. The offense didn't do a thing and Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry were just off. They need a victory in the worst way.
USA Today: No. 30 (last week 24)
After beating Buffalo the previous two seasons, the Titans showed they didn't belong on the same field with the Bills on Monday night. Tennessee might not belong on the same field with Vanderbilt.
NFL.com: No. 20 (last week 17)
A "bury the ball" game in Buffalo. The Titans had their doors blown off by the host Bills on Monday Night Football, a 41-7 roasting that could have been a lot worse had Sean McDermott not called off the dogs after three quarters. Ryan Tannehill threw two interceptions (including the game-icing pick-six) and Derrick Henry was held to 1.9 yards per carry on 13 rushes. The defense was completely mystified by Josh Allen, who threw four touchdowns and generally did whatever he wanted. In January, the Titans entered the postseason as the AFC's No. 1 seed. In September, they're winless and looking for answers.
The Athletic: No. 23 (last week 24)
As the loathsome Jack Parkman once said, “Don’t stand on the tracks when the train’s coming through.”
Tough draw for the Titans to play the league’s best team in their frothing-at-the-mouth home opener. Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders shapes up as something of an elimination game.
Yahoo Sports: No. 26 (last week 21)
The Titans got blown out by the Bills, and they won't be the last team to get embarrassed by Buffalo. Still, this 0-2 start has been pretty ugly. I'm not sure Mike Vrabel can turn this around. The only positive is the rest of the AFC South might be mediocre or worse.
Bleacher Report: No. 24 (last week 19)
The only thing that Tennessee has going for it is playing in an AFC South that seemingly no one wants to win. But unless Tennessee can turn things around quickly, the 2022 season is going to spiral away from them.
And this week's tilt with the similarly reeling Raiders is a must-win to keep that from happening.
Pro Football Talk: No. 13 (last week 10)
The Ryan Tannehill era isn’t over yet, but they’re holding the rope on the curtain.
Sporting News: No. 22 (last week 22)
The Titans blew the game late against the Giants and also missed a key opportunity to recover in Week 1. They're winless after a brutal follow-up matchup in Buffalo, a team in their current state aren't close to beating.
The Ringer: No. 16 (last week 15)
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